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And when I clicked on the sample, I knew we had to change spelling curriculums. Again. Goodbye Spelling Power and MacMillan and Sequential Spelling! We've found our true love.

The problem with the afore mentioned curricula is sheer boredom. Memorizing lists of words is mind numbing and as my children don't like their school work to lull them to sleep, they often push spelling to the side in favor of more exciting lessons.

When I found Spelling Wisdom, I realized what has been missing: an idea, something to engage the mind so that learning the difference between than and then occurs almost incidentally.

Sandra Shaffer uses the writings of famous men and women (Helen Keller, Beethoven, Winston Churchill...), Bible passages and quotes from quality literature...poems and novels (Robinson Crusoe, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, All the World's a Stage...) to teach more than six thousand frequently used word…

This week, I let a kindergarten kid play with my iPhone to
coax him into the tutoring classroom. I
set up a plan for dealing with this ongoing issue and consulted with his
mama. She’s a tough one to get to know,
his mama, but I try.
This week, I promised two little boys I would pick them up
on Friday and take them to my house.
This week, on a crazy afternoon, a granny asked me for
alcohol and I thought. I wish!I could
use a swig. But that's not what she meant. She was looking for rubbing
alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to take care of an injured kid. A few months ago, we were awkward because we didn't know each other but now the awkwardness is gone and I can’t help but hug her
every time I see her. I love that granny.
This week, I dropped off a little girl and shook hands with
her father. His hand was dry, he had
a tattoo on his neck and he's just fresh from jail. He asked how his daughter was doing in class
and they both basked in the rain of praise.
This week, a …

We had. John did a little Gollum dance in front of the computer to let us know. "Come quick! Hurry!"

Morse code. The kids all joined John in his little Gollum dance to celebrate their new favorite form of communication.

We read Cheaper by the Dozen a few years ago when the little ones were too little so, my chore time pep talks, "Frank Gilbreth would roll over in his grave if he saw you clearing that table one plate at a time," only generated blank stares. Finally, after Mr. Gilbreth came up for the twentieth time Faith got curious. "WHO is Frank Gilbreth and WHY do you keep talking about him?"

Out came Cheaper by the Dozen . We rolled our way through the chapters, holding our sides. A story of a motion study pioneer who practiced his techniques on himself and his supersized family with hilarious results. A born teacher, a man who made the most of his time. We were spellbound. When w…